Nature & Wildlife - German is Weird

Klammeraffe

In the late 90s, the @ sign was virtually emblematic of the Internet boom. Today, we use it primarily to tag someone in a WhatsApp chat.

Hundewetter: When it's very unpleasant outside, Germans will say it's a "dog weather"

The shepherd dog is emblematic of Germany in a way that otherwise only socks and sandals are. Without a doubt, Germans love their canine friends. So it comes as a great surprise that this love is not at all reflected in their language.

Nacktschnecke

Have you ever heard the cliché of Germans being somewhat uptight? Well, that’s not true across the board. Especially, when it comes to nudity, Germans are stunningly open-minded.

Saulkaue: When your handwriting is so bad that it looks like a pig wrote it, Germans will say you have a “sow hoof”

Sauklaue

Nearly nine in ten educators say that students’ handwriting has become worse in recent years. Or in other words: more and more students have a real Sauklaue.

Schluckspecht

According to the most recent studies, you can basically think of Germany as an all-year Oktoberfest with 83 million daily visitors.

Muskelkater

More than 10 million Germans are members of a fitness club. Many of them demonstrate an iron German discipline, never leaving the gym until they have completed their third set of selfies.

Elefantenrennen

German LKW just don’t look as badass as American trucks. Plus, they tend to block the roads with lengthy and completely out-of-place overtaking maneuvers just when I want to get home quickly because I have Flitzkacke.

Kuhkaff

If you really want to experience Germany, you need to visit not only its big cities, but also its smallest villages. Like Gröde, for example, with its 11 inhabitants—a real “Kaff”!

Drehwurm

Drehwurm may sound like one of these jolly modern neologisms. However, the word has a serious and somewhat sinister background. There is actually a species that is popularly called Drehwurm, which is not a nice one.

German loan words

German loan words are used not only the French and Arabic speaking world, but also in distant places like Papua New Guinea, Kenia or Korea. First and foremost however, the English language is literally packed with them.

Eierlegende Wollmilchsau

This beautiful German term that is used for persons, devices and anything else that is required (or advertised) to serve an unrealistic number of purposes in a perfect way.

Stinktier

The German language has a strange tendency to use defaming names for certain species. This is also true with this cute but somewhat stinky guy.

Versuchskaninchen

This term is used quite loosely and frequently in German. For instance, if you try a new recipe on a friend – before you might embarrass yourself in front of your date – he is your Versuchskaninchen.

Eselsbrücke

It has probably nothing to do with donkeys being stupid, but rather a bit stubborn. They refuse to wade through water – so their owners have to build an improvised bridge to make them cross a creek.

Elfenbein

Let me get totally clear on this: if you think it is a good idea to wear ivory products, someone should knock your teeth out and carve them into miniature middle fingers pointing at you.

German is weird: Fun Facts and Trivia about the German language